Improvement in cans for caustic alkali



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EDWIN A. THOMAS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CANS FOR CAUSTIC ALKALI.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,230, dated April :24, 1865.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. THOMAS, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oansand Packages for Caustic Alkalies; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', which Will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, forming part of this specilication,. in Which- Figure l is a side view of myimproved can. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section ofthe same through the line w x, Fig. l.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate like parts.

My invention has for its object the furnishing a means for putting up caustic alkalies in packages which shall be cheap, and shall at the same time preserve the can from the action of the alkali and the alkali from the air; and it consists in a can the seams of which are secured by Thomass patent cement and the top or cover attached by rocking down the edge of said cover over the turned-out edge ofthe body otA the iilled can, as hereinafter more fully described. I cast the alkalies in blocks in a hydrated state, and put them up in prepared packages or cans the seams ot' which at top, bottom, and side are secured yby my cement.

The body A ot' the can may be formed with a stone pipe-joint and then said joint covered with my cement. In this'case no solder need be used; or the side seam may be formed by simply overlapping the ends ot' the sheet that forms the said body A and then soldering the overlapped ends, the seam being covered and protected on the inside from the action of the caustic by my cement.

The bottom B is attached by rocking down the turned-up edge of the sa-idv bottom over the turned-out edge of the body A. No solder need be used in forming the seam, the ingress of the air being` prevented by a coating, O, of my cement applied to the seam on the inside of the can.

The upper edge of the body is then turned out and the can is ready for the application of the cement to the side and bottom seams. This cement may be applied at any covenient time before inserting the block of alkali. The only care necessary to be observed is that the Acement may have at least an hour to sety before inserting the alkali.

I am now ready to attach the cover E. This is done in the following manner: The covers having been formed by the. same tool and at'A the same time as the bottoms, or, in other words, the covers and bottoms being precisely alike around the inside of the turned-up edge ofthe cover,I apply my cement, and immediately, while the cement is still soft, I attach the cover and close the seam by rocking down the turned-up edge of the cover E over the turnedont edge of the body A, the cement being still duid enough to enter the seam or joint in sufticient quantities to form a perfectly airtight joint or seam. The alkalies are thus secured in packages or cans all the seams otl which are coated on the inside with my cement, making said alkalies perfectly secure from the action ot' air or moisture, however long they may be kept, thus forming, in large or small packages, au article the most secure and best adapted from cheapness of packages for general consumption, all liability of overheating the joints and thereby melting the solder, or any action ofthe alkali on the same' after soldering, being be prevented.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A can for putting up caustic alkalies, &c.,

the seams of which are secured 'by Thomass Y patent cement and the top or cover attached by rocking down the edges of said cover over the turned-out edge of the body of the iilled can, substantially as described.

The above speciiication ot' my invention signed by me this 25th day of November, 1865.y

EDWIN A. THOMAS.

Witnesses J AMEs T. GRAHAM, C. L. TOPLTFE. 

